Today's interviewee is a charming young sea lad named, Zach. A few weeks ago Zach's mom, Cindy very kindly shared her experiences with life on the water. I thought it would interesting to also hear about it from Zach's perspective. At six years old, Zach has already had some unique experiences that many of us just dream or read about...being lulled to sleep each night on the water, catching crabs from his back "porch", learning to sail, hiking a volcano, riding horses, and all sorts of other grand adventures. He is a dedicated young naturalist who fully embraces all of the natural wonders that surround him on land and sea.
Welcome to The Magnifying Glass, Zach! Can you please tell us about the best parts of living on a boat?
It kind of feels like you are on a giant trampoline, and trampolines are awfully fun. And that's why I like living on a boat. I like having a home that can move around.
The hard parts are you always have to scooch around. And the grown ups get to do all the cool things like throwing ropes and I don't get to yet.
(mama note: "scooch around" meaning in a tight space often one person has to move for another person to do something or get by.) What kinds of wildlife can you observe from your sailboat?
Fish, deer, birds mostly herons and ducks. Sometimes a seagull hanging around. Crabs and turtles. And if you were brave enough you could catch a sea snake also. And jelly fish live here also.
What are your favorite animals?
I love cheetahs, lions, and foxes.
What is your favorite season and why?
Summer because you can swim and play on the beach.
If you could sail anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you hope to see?
I would go to the Caribbean and search for old sunken ships with gold doubloons. And Australia so I can catch a Kangaroo and ride it.
Zach, do you have any special nature collections and how do you store them on the boat?
I have a thousand collections! I love to collect everything! I have bones from dead animals like a raccoon jaw and a mongoose head and some fish bones and other mystery bones. I have lots of shells and rocks too. Oh and feathers. And coral. Oh, and tracks, too. I store them mostly in jars. And some in little box containers in my closet.
And one final question, what are your favorite science/nature books?
National Geographic and Buck Wilder. 
Zach, thank you so much for this interview! You are lucky to live on a house that can move around, has built-in trampolines, and has so many interesting aquatic neighbors. I loved hearing about your interests and your collections and I hope your dreams of sailing to the Caribbean and Australia come true one day. Just curious, are you a fan of Alexander? He also wanted to go to Australia, but I don't think his plans were quite as creative or adventurous as yours. I would be very curious to know what riding a kangaroo feels like. We'll look forward to following all of your adventures on Zach Aboard. Happy Sailing!
---Lucia
